January 18, 2025: January Thaw

The January thaw came early this year when we saw three days with the temperature in the 40s.  Warm winter days always encourage a bit more activity in the outside world.  I saw a chipmunk out looking for fresh food, and a red squirrel came to compete with the gray squirrels under the bird feeders.

A red squirrel comes to visit.

It even dares to enter the squirrel house.

Prior to this I've noticed red squirrels finding lots to eat all on their own. 

These holes in the snow are scattered around the forest, indicating where a squirrel's fine sense of smell detected something down under the snow, often an acorn, sometimes a pinecone.

Oak leaves tell me this squirrel was after acorns.

A cone under the snow is most likely from a white pine that dropped it in the fall, because the cones from hemlock trees are still on the branches.  For these, the red squirrel sits in the tree and strips the scales off the tiny cones to access the even smaller seed underneath each scale.  A hemlock with a good crop of cones is noted by the large array of debris underneath it.

Debris scattered by a red squirrel stripping hemlock cones.

That's a lot of hemlock cones!

The tiny scales, and an intact cone attached to a hemlock branch.

Hemlock cones are quite small, the scales smaller, and the seeds underneath smaller yet, but they pack enough energy to make it valuable for birds and rodents to make the effort to extract them.

  

Larger bits of detritus found under trees are created by a larger bird hunting for larger prey.

This scattering of wood chips was made by a pileated woodpecker chopping holes in a decaying white pine to access insects, almost certainly eggs and larvae of carpenter ants that have made a nest in the soft, decaying wood. 

 Chips made by a pileated woodpecker can be two or three inches long.

Looking up I see where they came from.

This dead pine will feed a lot of different animals both before and after it falls.

So far this winter we have seen all but two of our most common avian friends at the feeders; the only ones missing to date are mourning doves and juncos (aka snowbirds).  To date we have seen chickadees, titmice, downy and hairy woodpeckers, white and red-breasted nuthatches, and goldfinches - lots of gold finches.  This week they emptied one of the feeders in just a few days.  

Goldfinches can monopolize the feeders, but it didn't stop this chickadee from trying to claim a perch.

Goldfinches are small but bold birds, able to fend off even the big bully of the feeders, the white-breasted nuthatch.  They can also be aggressive to their own kind.

Although when a woodpecker shows up, even the smaller downy woodpecker, everyone moves over, at least for a few moments. 

Downy Woodpecker

Other nearby birdwatchers with different local habitats have reported winter birds that we rarely see at our feeders, including bluebirds and cardinals.  Over the course of the winter we usually get a few interesting visitors such as crossbills, purple finches, cedar waxwings, and the aforementioned bluebirds.  We're surprised at how rarely we see blue jays, often thought of as birdfeeder bullies.  

Put the dates February 14 and 15 on your calendar for the NH Audubon Backyard Bird Count.  Anyone can participate and it only requires a few minutes in the comfort of your own home.  I'll provide more information on that in the coming weeks.

As a result of the warm days and some rain, the lake once again offered excellent skating opportunities when, in typical New England fashion, the temperature plummeted overnight from the 40s to the single digits.

A very nice skating surface.

Add in 20 mph northwest winds, and I didn't mind that a sore ankle gave me an excuse to not partake in skating on a cold blustery day.  And the next day?

The snow was back and the skating over.  

But there were some signs of spring this week if you squinted hard.  On those warm days I heard chickadees singing their spring "dee-dee-dee" song, and the sighting of a chipmunk is always promising.  And then there was this:

A few bits of yellow summer plumage peeking out from under the brown winter feathers of a male goldfinch is always a positive sign.  It's still early in winter, but we're already one-third of the way to the spring equinox!

September 28, 2025: A Goldfinch Buffet

Large numbers of American Goldfinch have been feasting on the wildflower buffet provided by our hot, dry summer, and Linda's patch of Woodland Sunflowers is a popular dining spot now that the daisies and black-eyed Susans have closed up shop for the summer.

An American Goldfinch dines in the sunflower department.

Goldfinch are so light (they weigh about half an ounce) they can flit from blossom to blossom, perching on the top of each stem to rip out seeds for as long as they like.  

Did you see the bumblebee sharing the flower patch?  Here's an interesting fact about goldfinches:  They are strict vegetarians, consuming animals (insects) only by accident.  And for this reason, when a Brown-headed Cowbird lays an egg in a goldfinch nest for the goldfinch pair to raise, it inevitably dies because it can't survive on a diet consisting of purely seeds.  [Ref: Cornell Lab of Ornithology]

Several varieties of asters have taken over the open fields from the Black-eyed Susans as the predominant flower, and the goldfinches enjoy these as well.  I think asters must thrive in dry hot weather because they're so abundant and healthy.  I found these Savory-leaf Asters a couple of weeks ago, but they are still blooming, even without much rain.

Savory-leaf Aster (Ionactis linariifolia)

Without much rain until Thursday that is, when the Lake Wicwas weather station recorded 3.5" of much needed precipitation.  

That was a good start to addressing the rain deficit present throughout all of New Hampshire.

The goldenrod doesn't seem quite as prolific as some years but it still dominates many fields.  I found a monarch partaking in the nectar on this goldenrod plant.

I also learned of a new flower, easily overlooked as it's not very flamboyant.  I had probably assumed it's a goldenrod plant that hasn't turned yellow, but in fact it's a related plant called Silverrod.

Silverrod (Solidago bicolor) also known as White Goldenrod.

Both silverrod and goldenrod are also in the Asteraceae (aster) family.  Yet another variety of aster was growing on the ledges of Mount Cardigan and Firescrew:

Mountain Aster (Oclemena acuminata)

Also at an elevation of 3100' on Cardigan were quite a few Mountain Ash trees.

America Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana)

This reminded me of a stand of Mountain Ash on Mt. Roberts.  Look for them if you hike Mt Roberts at this time of year.  

There are at least two varieties of Tussock Moth caterpillars feeding on deciduous trees right now.  I've seen Hickory Tussock and Spotted Tussock caterpillars so far.

Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar

Spotted Tussock Moth caterpillar on a birch leaf.

Keep your eye out for these on your walks.  They are pretty, but not good to touch as their long hairs have toxic chemicals that can cause a skin rash.

Now an update the loons.  Through I didn't Spangle this week, others have, and Eric Smith sent me some great pictures of her that he took last week.

Photos by Eric Smith

As large as she is now, she's still happy to have mom or dad bring her food.  

Amy Wilson also took some great pictures of Spangle swallowing a large sunfish that one of her parents caught for her.  You can see those pictures here.  

It appears only one parent is present, so it's possible the male has moved on the to ocean for the winter.  Thank you Jeff and Amy for sharing these great photos!  

A few people have asked about Spangle's younger brother, Star.  He disappeared around August 15th, at a time when there were rogue loons on the lake, sometimes as many as four at once.  We'll never know, but it's possible that Star was killed by one of these rogues.

Lastly, fall foliage season has begun.  I think the Lakes Region and north will be past peak by Columbus Day, so do your leaf-peeping early this year!

August 4, 2024: Thread-waisted Wasp

The summer bounty of healthy plants thriving in a combination of hot sunny weather and plenty of rain makes a sound foundation for the food chain.  It seems every patch of flowers has an insect or two taking in the nectar, including these Thread-waisted wasps which I see feeding on Black-eyed Susans. 

Thread-waisted Wasp.

It's pretty clear how this wasp got its name, and it's just amazing it can support that large lower abdomen with such a tiny connection.  This wasp looks scary and it does sting, but not humans, and not to defend itself or its nest.  It's a solitary species which doesn't build large nests like some other wasps.  What it does sting is a caterpillar of another insect.  Its venom kills the caterpillar and the wasp takes the dead caterpillar away, buries it, and lays an egg on the caterpillar.  When the egg hatches, it will feed on the caterpillar, providing the wasp larva all the food it needs to grow and pupate into a mature wasp.  Pretty clever.  It seems every animal that has survived over the eons has evolved some unique trait that allows it to propagate its species.  

Here's another insect I found in a bright colored flower.  

A small bee spreads pollen from plant to plant.

The insects go on to feed birds that gorge on both the adult insects as well as larvae in the form of caterpillars.  I don't know if hummingbirds help with pollination but they've been helping themselves to the flowers' nectar as well.

Ruby-throated hummingbird.

Some of the early bloomers such as Evening Primrose, Black-eyed Susans, and Woodland Sunflowers have gone to seed here in the first days of August, and they are appreciated by goldfinches, sparrows, and other seed-consuming birds.

Goldfinch feasting on Woodland Sunflowers.

Many fruiting trees and shrubs have already produced their bounty for the animals - blueberries and cherries for example; now it's time for black raspberries.  

What these lack in size they make up for in sweetness.

Like the blueberries and black cherries, the bears will be after these sweet treats.  Unfortunately, bears will also search out human-sourced food wherever they find it.  If you need a reminder to take down birdfeeders and not leave trash outside, take a look at this large bear that was ransacking yards on Loon Point Road this week.  

(Specific location and photographer redacted!)

We continue to have an abundance of loons on the lake and they were again flocked together one morning, this time an asylum of seven.

An asylum of seven.

At one point the Harris Cove pair performed a synchronized swimming routine to display bands on both participants to ensure I knew what team they played for.

Team Harris was among the asylum.  

Orange over yellow is the male, blue over green is the female.

🏅🏅🏅

Yesterday the Lake Wicwas Association held its annual meeting and as always, the best part was catching up with all our lake friends, some of whom we may see only once a year at this very moment.  In additional to hearing an informative, if somewhat concerning report on cyanobacteria from NH Lakes President Andrea LaMoreaux, we also heard reports on the current state of the lake's water quality, aquatic plants, and loons. 

Andrea LaMoreaux presents at the Lake Wicwas Association annual meeting at the Wicws Grange.

The association also recognized Paul Trombi for his 15 years of leadership for our Lake Host program!  Thank you Paul, and everyone who supports the program and who attended yesterday's meeting.  Overall, Lake Wicwas is in good condition and with your careful stewardship, Wicwas = and all our precious lakes - will continue to be resilient resources for wasps, birds, and bears, as well as humans.

September 4, 2022: Forestry Lessons

This week I attended a public forestry tour at the Page Pond Town Forest in Meredith sponsored by the Meredith Conservation Commission.  It was led by Dan Stepanauskas, a highly qualified forester who focuses on forest and wildlife habitat improvement, and he passed on a tremendous amount of information to the attendees.  One of the highlights for me was seeing this stand of hemlock trees which he estimates to be 350 years old.

Hemlocks estimated to be 350 years old.

That means these trees have witnessed American history from the time before there was an America - back to King Phillip's war.  I don't know why these trees escaped the axe; most of the old-growth trees I see in the Lakes Region are twisted, gnarly, knotty trees with no timber value so the loggers left them behind.

They couldn't get a good board out of this crooked white pine.

An important exception to this is sugar maples.  These weren't cut because they provided a cash crop for the land owner.  There are still several old-growth sugar maples in the Hamlin Conservation Area and the Red Trail takes you right through them. 

One of several remaining ancient sugar maples on the Red Trail

The average life span of a sugar maple is 200 years (though they can live over 300 years).  The few trees that are still hanging on in Hamlin are showing their age and won't last too much longer.

The old maples are showing their age.

On the tour I also learned about black oak, a species I wasn't familiar with, as well as black birch, a tree with a beautiful sweet aroma when the twigs are scraped.  This is the tree that's tapped to make birch beer; appropriately, it's also known as sweet birch.  

Back on Lake Wicwas I enjoyed some late summer bird watching, including brilliant goldfinches tearing into the seed pods of black-eyed susans and evening primrose. 

A male goldfinch feasts on evening primrose seeds.

They are not particularly neat diners.

He needs a napkin.

On a kayak yesterday I came across a bird I always think of as a shore bird though I have seen them on the lake several times. 

A sandpiper on the lake.

I think this is a solitary sandpiper; I've also seen spotted sandpipers at the lake.

Finally, our little Maddie isn't so little anymore. 

Mom and Maddie.

She's now lost most of her baby fuzz, revealing more and more of her juvenile plumage.

Photo by Debby Crowley

Maddie spends most her time with mom while dad's fishing nearby.

Mom, as seen by her bands, splashes water in Maddie's face.  She didn't seem to mind.

But dad brings fish to her when he catches the right one.

Maddie chokes down another good size fish.

With all that attention from her parents she's grown quickly and at this point the likelihood of her surviving to adulthood is high. It's never a sure thing, but as large as she is now, I expect she'll have no problem making it until she flies off to the mighty Atlantic in November.